Apple concept artist's designs may look 'too real” for comfort, says letter from Apple's lawyers

A concept design by a brand enthusiast is like fan-fiction, but for tech products. The artist gets to show off their skills and love for the brand, the internet enjoys having their imagination tickled and, of course, the brand in question gets attention and even some ideas and public feedback. Naturally, Apple, with its distinctive and storied design legacy, has received much love in this way over the years.

It seems, though, that that love just got too real for the Cupertino tech giant. An attorney representing Apple has reached out to popular concept artist Antonio De Rosa, letting him know that some of his designs have been not just noticed but deemed “too real” by the powers that be in the vaunted halls of Apple HQ.

I received a call from an Apple attorney asking me to adjust some of my concepts because they were considered too realistic. pic.twitter.com/e5PGOVT7tj

— Antonio De Rosa (@aderosa75) August 15, 2024

The attorney’s email, shared by De Rosa on X, goes like this:

Apple appreciates your creativity and enthusiasm for the company, and does not generally object to your website or designs, but there are certain pages/designs that Apple worries may look too real, and may actually create consumer confusion. Rather than request that you take them down entirely or make some kind of blanket changes, we’d rather talk through the nuances of the issue and ideally find a reasonable solution that works for everyone.

According to the post, the email was followed up by a phone call that involved “asking [De Rosa] to adjust some of his concepts because they were too realistic”. Speaking to Cult of Mac, De Rosa also revealed that at first, he was convinced it was all a joke.

Once that initial disbelief had cleared, the artist says, he conveyed his complete willingness to cooperate with the company: “I express my total availability to avoid any misunderstanding and miscommunication, so I’m waiting for the next steps”. He also told Cult of Mac that the lawyers were “really kind” and “far from aggressive”.

Apple’s choice of a gentle approach, apart from steering clear of unnecessary bad press, also makes sense given that it’s unclear what action it could reasonably take against an independent artist using his imagination to pay homage to a beloved tech brand. Still, Apple’s legal department is surely not to be taken lightly, and besides, Antonio De Rosa appears to be simply an enthusiast who’s not looking for controversy. He hasn't shared any specific details of the designs and changes that were discussed.

You can look at some of his recent work below, notably the foldable iPhone Air which is actually rumoured to be in the works. There’s also a concept for the iPhone 15 Pro Max (now available on Amazon) from before its launch.

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